NEW TECHNOLOGY IN JAPAN: TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT, VEHICLE NAVIGATION AND PUBLIC TRANSPORT

NY TEKNIK FOER TRAFIK I JAPAN. VAEGTRAFIK, KOLLEKTIVTRAFIK OCH FORDONSNAVIGERING

In Japan the fast growth of the cities with larger suburbs together with a continuing increase in numbers of cars have resulted in a situation with severe traffic problems. Fundamental for a continuing growth in prosperity and living standard is a well functioning transport system. Therefore big efforts are made in building new infrastructure systems and developing techniques in order to provide high quality roads and public transport systems. Several gigantic road/bridge projects are under construction all to be financed by toll fees. In the Tokyo area one such project is the Bay Shore Route along the coast to Yokohama. Another one is the Trans-Tokyo Bay Highway composed of a 10 km undersea tunnel and a 5 km bridge. The Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Project consists of three routes including fifteen bridges whereof one under construction will the longest span suspension bridge in the world (1990 m within one span). For many years traffic management systems have controlled regular roads in urban areas and toll financed expressways. The equipment are well established and standardized, this includes system layout, dynamic area control of signals, variable signs and boards, sensors, hardware and software for control center. Future development are expected for electronic tolling, high speed TV picture systems, prediction of congestions and travel times. In Japan the Ministries are strong, adaptive to new technology and enjoy confidence from the industry. Vehicle navigation is such a field. The development of information/navigation systems like AMTICS and RACS illustrate this. Different formats and communication channels for dynamic traffic information with these systems will soon be standardized. Japanese car manufacturers already offer more or less sophisticated navigation equipment which are integrated with the audio system and a TV receiver. Within the public transport sector there is a need to attract the public by developing and introducing new more service-oriented systems. The Key Route Bus system in Nagoya utilizes separate lanes, resulting in increased average speed for the buses. For the railways and the subways the latest technology is used to support tomorrow's transport system. The superconductive MAGLEV vehicle and the linear-motor-driven subway are now tested. The Shinkansen could be running at the superspeed of 500 km/h. Magnetic levitation reduce the noise and vibrations. For the subway the trains can be made smaller which will cut the costs for tunnel construction by 20 to 30%. In Japan many cities have various kinds of urban transit systems as trolley buses, light railway, monorail, automated guideway transit (AGT). (A)

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/03470970
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportforskningskommissionen

  Grev Truegaten 12A
  Stockholm,   Sweden 
• Authors:
  • LJUNGBERG, C
  • LAANG, K-E
  • FAST, P
  • Goeransson, L-A
  • Hagberg, J
  • Maansson, M
  • Lindkvist, A
  • WARSEN, L
  • VICTOR, O
• Publication Date: 1990

Language

• Swedish

Media Info

• Pagination: 76 p.
• Serial:
  • TFK RAPPORT
  • Issue Number: 1990
  • Publisher: TFK Institutet foer Transportiforskning
  • ISSN: 0347-0970

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridges; Digital computers; Driver support systems; Magnetic levitation; Motor vehicle navigational aids; Networks; Public transit; Subways; Technology; Toll roads; Traffic control; Urban areas
• Uncontrolled Terms: Transportation networks
• Geographic Terms: Japan
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Operations and Traffic Management; Public Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00607096
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL)
• Report/Paper Numbers: :9
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 31 1991 12:00AM